Joel Francis, a Marine Corps veteran and senior at Cal State Los Angeles, has issued a debate challenge to Koch Industries’ billionaire CEO Charles Koch on his support for the disastrous Prop 23 attack on California’s climate and clean energy progress.

Student leader Joel Francis challenges Charles Koch to meet him “anytime, anywhere in the state before election day” to explain why Koch is meddling with democracy in a state he doesn’t even live in.

Watch Francis’ debate challenge to Charles Koch:

Francis vows to travel to Koch headquarters in Wichita, Kansas to re-issue the debate challenge in person to Charles Koch if he fails to respond by next Tuesday.

Student climate activists at POWERVOTECA, a project of the California Student Sustainability Coalition, have issued a “No on 23” pledge for Californians to voice their opposition to this attack on California democracy by out of state oil interests.

Stay tuned for updates on whether Charles Koch accepts the challenge. As Francis says at the close of his video challenge, “you can’t possibly be afraid of just one college student.”

Democracy is utterly dependent upon an electorate that is accurately informed. In promoting climate change denial (and often denying their responsibility for doing so) industry has done more than endanger the environment. It has undermined democracy.

There is a vast difference between putting forth a point of view, honestly held, and intentionally sowing the seeds of confusion. Free speech does not include the right to deceive. Deception is not a point of view. And the right to disagree does not include a right to intentionally subvert the public awareness.